Chapter Two – Encounter
Blossom: I don't own Naruto and Plz review!
She carefully hid herself in the foliage of the large trees that surrounded the forest near the border of the Country of Fire, observing the ANBU members as they stood still on the ground for a moment, their kunai drawn ominously.
Trying her hardest to regulate her breathing, she drew her own kunai from her pouch, gripping the cold metal hard as the ANBU looked up, scanning the trees and the environment. Her heart nearly pounded out of her chest as one of the members wearing a raccoon mask glanced directly into her direction and she stirred uncomfortably until he relinquished his gaze and pocketed his kunai again.
They stood still for a moment longer, then hastily dashed away.
Sakura exhaled in relief, moving from her awkward position as soon as she felt the ANBU were on a decent distance, then jumped down the tree and landed on a branch near the ground.
Twenty-one days had passed since she left Konoha, but the borders were guarded by ANBU members who circled around in groups of four.
A half-starved kunoichi who lived on the fruits and food the forest provided would be little treat to them, even if she was trained by Tsunade. Her inhuman strength and medical jutsu relied on her chakra and she was completely depleted daily as she tried to get as far away from Konoha as she could, using genjutsu to stealthily make her way out of situations where ANBU would arrive whilst she tried to escape.
She had meant to go around Konoha, leaving through the Country of River and making her way to Sound from there on, hoping that Tsunade would send them directly to the Valley of the End and from there on out to Sound in hopes of finding her immediately.
What she hadn't included in her seemingly brilliant plan was the notion that the ANBU security and surveillance around the borders of River were tightened since a couple of years, after they found out that Akatsuki's headquarters was most probably stationed there. In an attempt to make sure at least Naruto would be save, security had been doubled there and it was becoming increasingly hard to make her way through the relatively small forest and cross into River.
"Stupid," she whispered under her breath as she jumped away from the branch and made her way though the forest, hoping to finally exit the country before the next batch of the elite forces would show up.
Thankfully peering to the sky, seeing that the sun was beginning to set, she jumped from tree to tree, she paused on every step, carefully listened to hear if she could hear anyone approaching and tried to sense if enemy chakra was nearing her, but nobody came. Satisfied, Sakura quickly continued, stopping only as she saw the border and the wooden cabin that stood there, light emanating from the windows, signaling that someone was inside on guard duty.
'There should be some ANBU members around here as well,'she realized and made her way down to the ground without making a sound. Sakura crept towards some of the bushes, then squatted down as soon as she found a decent place to hide. There was no doubt in her mind that the best moment to pass the border would be when it was completely dark to avoid as much attention as she could.
As she scanned the vicinity, she quickly realized that there were two ANBU members standing guard nearby.
The setting sun cast long shadows on the muddy ground, giving Sakura enough space to hide away from the two perceptive gazes of the ANBU members. She ducked away from sight just as one of the ANBU members looked into her direction, his face hidden behind the trademark mask.
Sakura held her breath, afraid that the observent shinobi might have caught a glimpse of her with his keen eyes. Her fear intensified exponentially as she heard a twig break under the man's boot. He was definitely getting closer.
But Sakura was a trained kunoichi. As stealthy as she possible could, Sakura crept away, careful not making a sound, moving only when the evening breeze passed by, using the rustling of leaves as a camouflage for her quick escape.
The forest became darker and darker as the sun disappeared behind clouds, now simply a red circle on the horizon. The sky was colored with brilliant shades of peach, crimson and mauve, blending in more and more until it was completely blue. After the sun had set completely, the sky turned dark blue and the color ironically reminded her of Sasuke's eyes. "Midnight blue," she whispered under her breath, careful not to speak too loud, in case the ANBU member was nearby.
Finally, after what seemed an eternity of silence, one of the men talked calmly about how boring their shift was. As more men joined in on the conversation, Sakura finally gained the courage to glance around the trunk she was leaning against. They stood a few yards away from her, backs turned, completely absorbed in their conversation.
Knowing that this was her only chance, Sakura moved along, using the bushes and the foliage of the trees as a cover while racing from one side to another. Amazingly enough, none of the ANBU members had noticed her passing by as she reached the other end of the border. Sakura made a mental note to tell Tsunade about the slacking members.
She halted, freezing on the spot. Resisting the urge to laugh at herself, she shook her head, mentally berating herself. Sakura wasn't even sure if she'd even get to see Sasuke, much less return to Konoha in one piece. To think about what to say to Tsunade about the shinobi that actually stayed in the village simply seemed silly.
Sakura sighed softly, then stopped midstride, realizing that the ANBU members suddenly came closer. Hastily, she ducked under a bush and waited for them to pass her by as they jumped into the branches and farther away from her.
Taking that as her cue, Sakura dashed away as fast as she could, completely exhausted and the slightest twinge of regret occupying her mind. She afforded one glance back to the Fire Country, the place that had been her home. It seemed like a faraway place now, somewhere she couldn't return unless she brought back Sasuke.
Resolve burned in her eyes as she relinquished her gaze and moved farther into the Country of River.
"Itachi-san," Kisame growled, glancing up to the east as he readjusted Samehada on his back. His razor-sharp teeth were bared as he grinned to no-one in particular, mulling over the chakra level that was nearing them.
Uchiha Itachi stood very still, glancing into the same directions from the corners of his eyes as he rebuttoned his Akatsuki cloak. Normally, Kisame wouldn't even get excited about anyone nearing them. Most people didn't know about Akatsuki, which enabled the both of them to move around the countries without too much hassle.
But Itachi knew this particular chakra level. It belonged to the medical kunoichi that was with Uzumaki Naruto – the kyuubi, when he battled him for a second time. "Haruno… Sakura…" he whispered in his velvet, deep voice, still looking into that particular direction.
Quickly, he weighed out the pros and cons of searching her out. To do anything rashly would be unnecessary and unlike him. And his gut was now telling him that it was the right time for him to move. "Kisame," he whispered, barely audible, but enough for Kisame to nod and jump into the trees.
Itachi hesistated for a second, crimson eyes locked on nothing in particular as he observed that general path. Though it was probably a good decision, something did not sit well with him.
Only time would tell exactly what.
He blinked once and followed Kisame into the trees as they swiftly made their way to their unsuspecting target.
Sakura was a day removed from the Fire Country's border now and though she was happy with her progress, certain problems had occurred. For instance, the fact that the River Country apparently had a serious lack of fruits that grew on trees. Also, most rivers she passed were completely devoid of fish, leaving her with nothing to eat except an apple that she had taken along with her just before crossing the border.
Her stomach growled and Sakura could feel herself weakening. The constant use of chakra that she used to move faster was helpful, but also tiring. And the lack of sleep was maddening. Dark circles had formed under her eyes and her tired eyelids closed every once in a while, only to snap up when she heard something more in the vicinity.
Sleep was overtaking her now as dark spots danced in front of her eyes. Sakura halted on the mossy ground, managing to stride towards a tree. She sat down, leaning against the harsh wooden trunk, ignoring the bumps that stuck in her back. Once in a while, she opened her eyes again, hoping that the fatigue had passed.
But eventually, it became increasingly harder for her to open her eyes again, until finally, she gave in and nodded off. For the first time since leaving, she dreamt.
A small upturn of the lips adorned her face as her dream took her back to Konoha, to the field of cosmos flowers that she had frequently visited with Ino.
The first sign of trouble came when the dream abruptely ended. Sakura could suddenly clearly feel two chakra levels extremely closeby and her eyes flew open in shock. Hurriedly, she drew a kunai from her pouch, crouching down in a fighting stance as the first person landed in front of her.
Her eyesight was still bleary, but the long red and black cloaks immediately told her that she was in big trouble. As she glanced up to the man's face, she noticed his grey-blue tinted skin, his razor sharp teeth and the rotting odor that rolled out of his mouth with every breath he took. It blew in her face and Sakura resisted the urge to hurl, knowing that this was no opponent to be underestimated.
"Hoshigaki Kisame," she said, gripping her kunai even harder. "I recognize your face from the file we have on you."
"I feel so honored," Kisame grinned in response as he moved his hand to his back. He grabbed Samehada and pulled it off the belt that was strapped over his back. Some of the bandages that were wrapped around the sword let go, allowing Sakura to see the sharp edges sticking out. "Introductions come later though."
She gritted her teeth, readying herself for combat. But with the speed of light, Itachi interjected, appearing in front of her. Astonished, Sakura glanced up to regard her new adversary, but Itachi's crimson Sharingan had changed already into pinwheels and swept her away.
Sakura barely had time to scream before fear overtook her completely.
"Tsukiyomi already huh?" Kisame grunted, glancing at the kunoichi as she screamed loudly, eyes widened in horror. Then, she slumped to the ground and it became eerily quiet.
Itachi blinked twice, allowing his eyes to return to their original color for a moment as he glanced down the kunoichi. The pink thresses and the clothing left no doubt about it. Long, pale fingers stretched out to brush some bubblegum strands away, revealing the forehead protector and Konoha's symbol on it.
Cupping her chin, he tilted her head upwards so that he could get a good look at her face. Her cheeks were hollowed and her skin looked unnaturally grey. Dark circles were prominent under her eyes, long lashes cast shadows on her pale cheeks. Her swoon had left a light sheen of sweat on her face.
"It was not Tsukiyomi," Itachi said simply, still regarding the kunoichi's face. "Just a mere illusion."
"She succumbed quickly," Kisame noted, stepping closer as he slid his sword back on his back. He cocked his head to the side, still grinning widely as he observed Sakura momentarily. "Will we use her as bait for the kyuubi, Itachi-san?"
Itachi remained quiet for a second, pondering over a million issues in his head as it seemed. Then finally, he let go of her face and stepped away from her unconscious body. "Take her along," he instructed calmly before disappearing into thin air.
Kisame grunted in response, not quite happy with the prospect of having to carry the girl back to the inn where they were going to lodge for a while. But Itachi's orders were law and Kisame knew fully well that if he'd return without the kunoichi, consequences would be dire.
With another sigh, he heaved the girl over his shoulder and followed Itachi, cursing under his breath as thunder crashed in the sky. Rain started to pour down relentlessly, causing Kisame to utter some vulgar words to the sky. Sakura slid off his shoulder as he reached over to grab the kunai she had dropped, falling on the unforgiving floor, her knee banging against a loose branch on the ground.
He glanced at the pink haired kunoichi and grinned widely. It had been a long time since they used a bait to lure in a Jinchuuriki, and he was sure this time would be as fun as the last time they used one.
The first thing she could feel was the sharp pain that flamed through her knee. Sakura groaned hard, fighting to open her eyes. She struggled against her instincts to lay completely still on the floor so that the pain in her knee wouldn't flare and sat up straight.
The room was dimly lit, not allowing her to see much of the environment she was currently in. She rubbed her head, quickly regathering her memories, groaning even harder as she realized that she had stumbled onto two Akatsuki members. The day couldn't possibly get any worse.
She held out her arm, faintly noticing the wall there as the soft light bounced off the white wall to the floor. Using the wall as a leverage, Sakura attempted to stand up, gritting her teeth so hard it hurt. But her knee was too painful to stand up and she landed back on the hard, wooden floor. Stifling a gasp of pain, she crawled to the wall and leaned against it, propping her knee up against her stomach.
Sakura molded as much chakra as she could to her hand, quickly forming some handseals. Her hand moved to her knee, and she sighed in instant relief as the pain weakened under her warm touch. To Sakura, it almost felt as if her chakra was kneading the pain away.
It was then that she heard two people nearing the room. Their pacing was calm, as if they weren't in a hurry and all Sakura could do was grimace. Being a hostage of Akatsuki promised little good and it would stall her from her destinations. Her grimace slowly turned into a scowl and by the time the door opened, Sakura was infuriated, squinting her eyes as a bright light streamed into the room through the now open door.
"Hello kunoichi," Kisame's raspy voice sounded from the door opening. Sakura held up her hand to block out the blinding lights and could barely make out Kisame's huge sillouette in the threshold. "She's awake, Itachi-san. What should we do now?" he said, not to her, but to the figure that had suddenly appeared beside him.
Itachi was significantly shorter, but that wasn't such a difficult feat when Kisame was your partner, Sakura noticed. Overall, perhaps he was just a feet or two taller than her.
Immediately, Sakura started to ponder about the possible escaping options. Though Itachi was the smaller one, she knew he was significantly stronger than Kisame. And his eyes could disable her for days. She clenched her jaw. "What do you want with me?"
"Are you able to stand?" Uchiha Itachi's soft voice drifted through the room as he completely ignored her previous question.
A little disappointed that she had been unable to evoke a reaction out of the Uchiha, she pushed herself up. Her knee was still hurting, but it was a dull pain now instead of the flaming pain she had felt earlier. Her knees buckled under her after she attempted to take a step into their direction, signaling that she was incredibly tired.
Another attempt sent her back to the floor and Sakura bit her lip until it bled, unwilling to cry out in pain now that those two Akatsuki members stood in front of her. Her knees throbbed violently, but Sakura knew she had to stand up. She most certainly did not want to test Itachi's patience.
Feeling the sharingan piercing through the darkness, she tried to stand up again, and failed miserably. As she massaged her painfully purple knee, Itachi suddenly appeared in front of her, taking her by surprise. Itachi stared down at her, emotionlessly then bowed down, roughly taking her wrist in his hand. He helped her up, allowing her to hold on to his large hand for support while he calmly trotted out of the room.
Sakura fumed with anger, trying her best not to cry out in pain while Itachi walked in front of her in a fast pace. He didn't even bother to check if she was alright.
Finally, her knee gave into the pain and became numb. She pulled away from Itachi's strong hand and allowed herself to sit down on the floor. She tried to activate her chakra once more to heal herself.
A barely audible sigh was heard, and she was suddenly being hoisted up over his shoulder, her face facing his back as he made his way to a door.
It didn't even occur to her to yell at him for obvious reasons.
First of all, she was scared. This was a killer that stood out among killers. Itachi was legendary. Secondly, the warmth of his back and shoulder radiating to her body was pleasant, as her body felt like it was made out of ice. When he finally let go of her, and she sat down on the ground while he opened up the door. Now that he wasn't holding onto her anymore, she felt strangely numb.
He opened up the door and gestured for her to go in. Knowing that this wasn't the time to complain or disobey his requests, she stood up slowly and walked into the room, passing Itachi on her way in.
Similar to the previous room, this room was also completely dark and Sakura waited patiently for her eyes to adjust to the gloomy atmosphere.
"Why did you bring me here?" Sakura questioned numbly.
"I wasn't aware you might prefer to sleep in the hallway," Itachi said in his usual quiet, baritone voice. "Sleep," he directed before walking out of the doorway. "Kisame stands guard," he added, almost as an afterthought, before closing the door behind him.